Expanding use of through-floor fire rated devices in buildings has created a need for improved insert devices, adaptable for insertion into openings formed into concrete floors of a range of diameters from minimal to larger sized openings. Such devices should be adapted for passage separately, through the entire length thereof, of cables for different cable uses, such as high and low voltage insulated cables, such openings of minimal and larger diameter being also of varying depths according to the needs of the particular installation. It is further desirable that the insert device be formed as a standard unit for use equally well in a range of installations.
Although prior devices could physically handle maximum sizes of cables, they were fire tested and approved for use with specific sizes and numbers of cables, which could lead to users of the device violating the actual capabilities of the device. Further, the specifications for such devices have heretofore necessitated stocking a large range of such devices of different sizes and dimensions, for varying depths of concrete, and functions of the service head, greatly increasing costs, multiplying the chance of error in installation, and entailing substantial safety risks through errors as to sizes and parts.
Still further, the drilling of larger holes has an obvious effect on the structure, since more concrete is removed, and larger devices incorporate more metal and therefore have more thermal conductivity. Prior devices require the telephone installer to feed long lengths of cable down through the device and into the plenum area of the floor below, for connection to the telephone panel. This is necessary since the amphenol connector is factory wired to the cable, and due to raceway size cannot be pushed up from below.
The fitting device disclosed and claimed herein overcomes the above recited and other deficiencies of prior devices. Such device comprises a novel "poke-through" fitting, and capable of handling both high tension and a range of low tension cable sizes and quantities sufficient to handle multi-line telephones and more than one office work station in a single unit, and to be secured in minimal hole cored with a 2" diameter drill. The device includes a galvanized complete unit, fire rated due to mechanical design and the use of intumescent organic material to withstand fire conditions, capable of passing an uncoupled multi-pair amphenol connector through its entire body for use in core holes of various depths. While mechanically sound, the present device uses less metal and further breaks thermal conductivity by separation of metal parts by the intumescent barriers.
The poke-through floor outlet device disclosed and claimed herein is of novel concept and design. Installed in a 2" hole, it highly exceeds the communication carrying capacity of existing fittings. It has a communication raceway large enough to pass an uncoupled multi-unit amphenol connector through its entire length, and the 2" hole diameter lessens the possibility of reducing the structural capacity of the floor. Thus core drilling costs are drastically reduced while future expansion capability is realistically provided for in a single-length unit, suiting normal floor thicknesses without extra extensions, enabling rapid, self-centering installation, easy removability, power/communication separation, floating service head, and other features below described, not heretofore available in combination in such fittings. A radiator allows the installation of 1-100 pair telephone cable.